What we got done yesterday...

Dill Pickles... 2 qts + 16 pints

Well.... I got to my mom's house and we decided to pickle first. She doesn't buy many dills, so she was just pacifying me...that's OK. I made her keep one of the 2 jars that didn't seal. I did end up going to Walmart to pick up another package, since we still had half of our cucs left and no juice...live and learn.... Mrs Wates recipe... I'll let you know in a couple of days how they are.... my unsealed jar in the frig should be ready by then.

TOMATOES- 13 qts

Of course, we had actually started the tomatoes in the middle of our pickle ordeal, since we ran out of mix and my dad was not around and we decided we'd get the tomatoes scalded, simmering on the stove and then I left after making my mom promise not to can anything in my absence.... I still have 14 qts from last year, so I think we might be good, although while I was at Walmart, I also picked up a package of spices for pizza sauce. Thinking I may try that, too and then come up with a 'from scratch' recipe for next year if the family embraces all of my hours of toiling over a hot stove/wet sink/vegetable pile/dripping elbows...you know how it is when you get into your work?!!? BUT also at Walmart, I'd been thinking about an immersion blender and I picked one up. See, the hubby doesn't care for chunky tomatoes, so I often open my cans and run them through the blender quick to eliminate chunks...and I'd read someone's praises of the blender and that was another reason I could convince my mom to wait for me to get back and WOW!! was that slick. I was so happy and my mom was impressed, too and I said don't you dare get one of these, because this is what DAD is getting for Christmas. Slick to use, slick to clean..he can make milkshake all the time!! well, at least more than now.

MOM'S PEACHES FOR ME- can't remember 20-24 pints...don't they look pretty?!?!?

I slacked on MOM last weekend and left my peaches at her house and when I called to ask when she wanted to do them, guess what...she'd already done them all.. OK, so she got a new canner and I think she just wanted to play with it.. that helps me not to feel so guilty!!

AND mom had leftover potato soup, but not enough, so while I was at Walmart, she whipped up some cheese cauliflower and it was awesome!! I think I'm about the only cauliflower eater at my house, so I probably won't be making this at home, but along with my homemade bread, we ate well.

I was secretly OK with the fact that Shawn did NOT call us to say come and get corn on Saturday, 'cuz I sort of ran out of ambition, but we need to take care of that soon. I probably would have been alright had I not sat down. That is my undoing. I can clean and tidy 'til the cows come home, as long as I don't sit down.